Promoter of the African Democratic Alliance (ADA), Ambassador Dr. Umar Ardo, has condemned what he described as inconsistency and bias by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in handling his party’s registration, insisting that ADA will continue its push despite ongoing legal challenges.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Dr. Ardo accused INEC of “vomiting and then swallowing back the vomit” after initially pre-qualifying ADA for registration, only to later reject the party on technical grounds.
“I will not be able to say conclusively that the court is going to rule in our favour. But we believe, based on the provisions of the law, what we have presented to the court, we are confident, 100% confident, that we have met each and every requirement of the law that requires INEC to register us,” he said.
He detailed the sequence of events, noting that on 11 September last year, INEC had pre-qualified ADA as one of 14 political associations out of 171 applications to proceed to the next level of formal registration.
“If you look at paragraph two of this press release by INEC, INEC stated very clearly that these 14 political party associations out of the 171 have complied with the constitution, section 222, and also the provision of the electoral act, section 79, and has also complied with INEC regulation and guidelines. And on the basis of that, INEC said, ‘look, now proceed to the next level.’”
However, in a letter dated 18 October, INEC reversed its position, claiming ADA did not meet legal requirements.
“First it said we qualified, we have complied fully, and therefore we have to go to the next level… So if INEC would not register us, it shouldn’t have gone back to say that we did not meet the requirement of the law or the constitution. No.
“The documentation that you have presented are not the documentation that you have uploaded. This is the last thing that INEC would have done. But INEC did not do that. And that is the problem. The problem is that INEC vomited and then swallowed back the vomit. That is bad,” Ardo said.
He also criticised the registration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which he claims did not participate in the process but was allowed by the courts to be registered.
“So how can we expect to go into an election where there are no rules, no laws, no guidelines to direct, to regulate… it is just, that is my biggest issue,” he added.
Ardo explained the relationship between ADA and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), emphasising that while some members of ADA were persuaded to join ADC, he personally remains committed to ADA.
“The initial idea was that let us take two opposition parties while we fuse into ADC… those who are committed to the registration of a political party now go in to register the ADA.
“Now, this could have gone in very well harmoniously. But with the situation where it is apparent that the ADC leadership… is now deliberately trying to frustrate the registration of the ADA, then they seem to be brought back into the system,” he said.
Asked if he is now a member of ADC, Dr. Ardo replied: “No, I’ve not been. I’ve never… I was SDP. But I moved out of SDP, and not only me; many moved out of Labour, PDP, and some were never even in any political party that have now come in to form the ADA.”
He rejected suggestions that ADA’s continued existence is politically motivated for President Bola Tinubu or the 2027 elections.
“If ADA had been registered by December, when we were supposed to have been registered, or if the courts had pronounced the registration of ADA and ordered INEC to register ADA, I can assure you that the political dynamics of the country would have been so changed that it would guarantee, first, the defeat of President Tinubu in office.
“And two… I’m not doing this thing in order to work for President Tinubu. I don’t know President Tinubu. I’ve never seen him in my life. I am doing politics based on principles, ideology, and strong convictions,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Dr. Ardo stressed ADA’s role as a potential safeguard should ADC face legal or political challenges.
“The alternative today, if ADA isn’t registered until it is too late, then the alternative is obviously going to be ADC.
“But what is the guarantee that ADC will also not face political and legal issues? Suppose something happens to ADC… Then you allow President Tinubu to walk without faltering into the villa again, which would not be good for the country,” he said.
Boluwatife Enome
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